Boston — Maybe another week off would have done Kenny Rogers good.
Rushed into the rotation when his suspension for shoving two cameramen was cut from 20 games to 13, Rogers gave up Manny Ramirez's long home run in a five-run fourth inning Tuesday night, and the Boston Red Sox scored nine more off the bullpen in the eighth to beat the Texas Rangers, 16-5.
"We struggled," Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. "A lot of people struggle in Boston."
The Red Sox won their fourth straight game and their 12th in 14 tries to move 51â2 games in front of the New York Yankees in the AL East. It's Boston's biggest lead in the division since the end of the 1995 season.
"It's good to have a little cushion," Red Sox outfielder Gabe Kapler said. "But it's not going to be easy."
Bronson Arroyo (10-7) allowed four runs and seven hits in 71â3 innings. He took a 7-1 lead into the eighth before Texas scored four runs off four Boston pitchers to cut the lead to 7-5.
Mike Timlin needed one pitch to end the threat, getting Kevin Mench to line out to left, where a charging Ramirez caught the ball backhanded. Boston answered with a season-high nine runs in the bottom half to win its 11th consecutive game at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox scored 35 runs in their three-game sweep of Texas.
"This team's firing on all cylinders," Timlin said. "We're running well."
Rogers (11-5) allowed five runs and seven hits in five innings, walking one and striking out five in his first loss since July 3. He took a line drive off his right forearm in the first but stayed in the game and retired the first eight Boston batters; X-rays were negative.
Texas' Kenny Rogers delivers against Boston. In his first game back after serving a suspension, Rogers was the losing pitcher in the Rangers' 16-5 loss to the Red Sox on Wednesday night in Boston.
"Kenny was pitching well until he got hit by that line drive and he battled his way through five innings," Showalter said.
Asked if he thought the layoff affected Rogers, Showalter said, "I think what he got affected by was the line drive by David Ortiz."
Rogers was suspended 20 games by commissioner Bud Selig for a June 29 tirade in which he shoved two cameramen. On Tuesday, an arbitrator trimmed the punishment to 13 games, and Rogers joined the Rangers in Boston to get ready for his first start since July 26.
"The ultimate punishment you can give a player is to keep him away from the game and his team," left fielder David Dellucci said. "It's great to have him back on the mound and in the clubhouse."
The Fenway fans were ready for Rogers, with one holding up a sign during batting practice that said, "Kenny Should Play Nice." When he took the mound for the bottom of the first, he was jeered resoundingly; the boos stopped only when he was hit near his glove by Ortiz's comebacker to end the inning.
Orioles 9, Devil Rays 5
Baltimore - Jay Gibbons' second career grand slam capped a five-run first, and Baltimore clinched its first series win since the All-Star break by beating Tampa Bay. Miguel Tejada drove in three runs for the Orioles, who improved to 4-2 under interim manager Sam Perlozzo. Rodrigo Lopez (11-6) came within one out of a complete game.
Athletics 4, Angels 3
Oakland, Calif. - Nick Swisher drove in the tying run before scoring on Mark Ellis' infield single in the seventh, and Oakland moved back into a first-place tie in the AL West with a victory over Los Angeles.
Adam Melhuse homered and later scored on a wild pitch in a three-run seventh for the A's, who rallied for their 19th win in 22 games since July 19, when they trailed the Angels by 81â2 games. Los Angeles won the series opener Tuesday night.
Angels rookie Ervin Santana outpitched Barry Zito with six innings of four-hit ball, leaving with a 2-1 lead - but in the seventh, Jay Payton tripled and scored on Swisher's single off reliever Scot Shields (7-7). The right-hander had allowed just three earned runs in his previous 26 innings.
White Sox 2, Yankees 1, 10 innings
New York - Juan Uribe slid in under catcher Jorge Posada's tag to score a disputed run in the 10th, lifting Chicago over New York.
The White Sox, with the best record in the majors, took two of three at Yankee Stadium. Each game was a one-run decision.
Uribe struck out in his first three times up, then tripled with one out in the 10th against Mariano Rivera (5-3), who was working his second inning.
The Yankees drew in their infield, and Scott Podsednik hit a grounder to second baseman Robinson Cano. Cano threw home and Posada tried to block the plate, but Uribe sneaked in under the catcher's shin guard. Posada stuck out his glove, trying to win the call from plate umpire Bruce Froemming, Rivera pointed to the plate, and Yankees manager Joe Torre briefly argued.
Blue Jays 4, Tigers 3
Toronto - Orlando Hudson homered in the bottom of the ninth, lifting Toronto. Hudson drove a 1-2 pitch from Craig Dingman (0-1) over the center-field wall for his 10th homer this season.
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